My Asia Popcorn Adventure

Since completing my MBA in 2007, I have had the opportunity to lead projects in diverse settings - from sales training at HSBC Bank to supply chain process improvement at Cisco Systems and from HR system implementation at Medtronic to marriage and family community classes in Shanghai.  The end goal of all my program and change management has been the same - measurable improvement.  Improvement is seen as people embrace change, whether it's a buyer using a new supplier negotiations framework or a husband breaking a bad habit of interrupting his wife.  Indeed, program and change management can can be applied in any industry, function or area of life - even popcorn.

 

On February 29, 2016 I embarked on the unexpected professional venture of selling popcorn across Asia. Building on my global operations program and change management experience, I will be building out sales operations and business development capabilities across Asia through my role as Asia Director at Preferred Popcorn.  Preferred is the largest U.S. exporter of popcorn (selling to over 50 countries, including more than 10 in Asia) and the third largest producer of popcorn in the U.S.

 

 

Preferred Popcorn CEO, Norm Krug, and Assistant VP of Production, Sam Krug After My First Two Weeks at Preferred on March 11, 2016

 

Three Reasons I Jumped Into Popcorn - A Compelling Mission, A Versatile Product and Change Opportunities in Asia:

 

1. A Compelling Mission: The Preferred Popcorn backstory is remarkable and worthy of a separate post. The end result is summarized in the company mission of "Striving to honor God by producing high-quality products and serving customers with integrity."  This values-based mission not only aligns with my personal desire to honor God in all I do, but also my passion for creating quality products and driving exceptional customer service.
2. A Versatile and Healthy Product: I've been a fan of popcorn since I was a kid and our family eats copious amounts of popcorn on a weekly basis. What's more, this snack product can take on numerous forms – from the sweet caramel corn made by the gourmet popcorn maker Garrett's to the light and healthy Skinny Pop that satisfies consumers' demand for healthier snacks.  Moreover, popcorn can be a healthy snack as detailed in this article by the Popcorn Board.
3. Change Opportunities in Asia: Although popcorn has a steady hold on the American snack market at roughly a 10% market share, it's adoption in Asia is in the single digits where it is largely seen as a treat that accompanies trips to the movie theater or high end gourmet popcorn shops. While it has also been a street snack, the quality of this popcorn is a far cry from what we have in the US. There is an opportunity to change the way families snack by increasing their consumption of healthy popcorn in their homes as well as opportunities to take popcorn into more markets in Asia.

 

What's Next - Leaving Minnesota for a Global Adventure

On June 10, my family and I will begin our global popcorn adventure. We will leave Minnesota and spend much of the summer in Nebraska, where the company's headquarters are located.  Our plan is to relocate to China in the late summer. If you are in the Twin Cities, please you are welcome to join my popcorn happy hour send off on June 7 – RSVP using this eVite link. If you are not, please stay in touch through LinkedIn.